What Are Syringe Exchange Programs?
It is estimated that an individual IDU injects about 1,000 times a year.5 This adds up to millions of injections, creating an enormous need for reliable sources of sterile syringes. Syringe exchange programs (SEPs) provide a way for those IDUs who continue to inject to safely dispose of used syringes and to obtain sterile syringes at no cost. (See the related fact sheets Syringe Disposal and Pharmacy Sales of Sterile Syringes.) The first organized SEPs in the U.S. were established in the late 1980s in Tacoma, Washington; Portland, Oregon; San Francisco; and New York City. By 2002, there were 184 programs in more than 36 states, Indian Lands and Puerto Rico. These programs exchanged more than 24 million syringes.6 In addition to exchanging syringes, many SEPs provide a range of related prevention and care services that are vital to helping IDUs reduce their risks of acquiring and transmitting blood-borne viruses as well as maintain and improve their overall health. These services may in
